Improvement in self-operating gates



A. N. HOLMES. Improvement in Self-opening Gates. No. 121,619. PatentedDec.5,1871

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ALBERT N. HOLMES, OF TYRONE, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT lN SELF-OPERATING GATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 121,619, dated December5, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT N. HOLMEs, of Tyrone, in the county of Kentand State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Grate- ActuatingApparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact de scription thereof, which will enable others skilled in theart to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improved latch for gates, the same beingdescribed hereinafter in connection with a gate provided with means forbeing opened or closed without the necessity of the operator descendingfrom his carriage or horse; and it consists in a cord wound around thehinged post of the gate and extending at each side to a lever foractuating it to revolve the post and thereby swing the gate, and anarrangement of the lower hinge or pivot of the gate which causes alifting action on the free end to raise it up for unlatching previous toswinging it open, also to disengage it from the catches for holding itopen, the gate being suspended from an eye at the upper end of theoscillating post, all as hereinafter described.

Figure l is an elevation of the gate and the actuating apparatus and asection of the catch looking toward the free end of the gate whenclosed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the gate. Fig. 3 is a partial sideelevation of the post having the catch, and section of the latter; andFig. 4 is a plan view of the step for the bottom pivot of the post.

A is the actuating-cord, which is wound one or more times around thelower end of the pivoted post, or a pulley, B, thereon, and extended oneach side through suitable guides O to an actuating-lever, D, which,being pulled in the direction from the gate, will cause it to swing openin the opposite direction and drop into a catch,

E, for holding it open. The same action will also lift the latch F outof the catch G, previous to swinging open, by pulling the bottom pivotor post H into the end K of the curved groove I in the step L, which,shifting the said post from the vertical line toward post M, will raisethe end carrying the latch and lift the latter out of the catch. Thegate-post H is suspended from the eyebolt J to allow the lower end tovibrate, as above stated, in its step. The same action will draw thepivot into the end K toward the operators, and thus tilt the top of thegate in the direction in which it is to swing, and thus cause the catchto pass on that side of the pointed guard N fixed on post Gr above thelatch to prevent the opening when so tilted. The catch G is providedwith pivoted and weighted latches P, which fall at the inner end, afterthe latch F passes the pivot It, to let the latter drop below guard N,and thus fall into catch G. Said latch F carries a friction-roller,which lessens the friction in passing over the latches P.

The post H assumes the vertical position as soon as the gate closes,being forced in that direction by the gravity of the gate and guided bythe concave wall of the slot I, against which the weight of the gateforces it. The gate is closed, after passing through it, by a similaraction of the lever D on that side which first draws the pivot of post Htoward it and raises the free end of the catch E, and then revolves saidpost and closes the gate.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- The combination, with the latch F, of the weightedlatches P, and guard N, substantially as specified.

ALBERT N. HOLMES.

Witnesses:

Z. V. CHENEY, H. S. BONNER.

